Caley Thistle secured a valuable 1-1 draw against Hearts following a spirited performance at Tynecastle.
Inverness took the lead midway through the first-half through Carl Tremarco’s header, with Richie Foran’s men standing firm until Arnaud Djoum’s equaliser just after the hour mark.
Hearts had a glorious chance to win the game, however goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams came to Caley Jags’ rescue when he saved Jamie Walker’s penalty.
Although Richie Foran’s men remain bottom of the Premiership, they are now two points away from Hamilton Accies who went down 2-0 against Partick Thistle.
Caley Thistle made five changes, with Gary Warren, Brad McKay and Iain Vigurs out through suspension, Billy King unavailable to play against his parent club, and Henri Anier dropping to the bench. The quartet made way for Jamie McCart, Jake Mulraney, Larnell Cole, Liam Polworth, along with debutant Louis Laing.
Hearts began on the front foot, with both Arnaud Djoum and Isma Goncalves sending efforts over from the edge of the box in the early stages, while Owain Fon Williams was equal to Moha Choulay’s low curling free-kick.
Ross Draper was required to make an excellent challenge to block Goncalves shot following a Choulay corner, however the Highlanders grabbed the lead on 24 minutes. Greg Tansey swung in a free-kick from the wide right, with Tremarco rising unmarked to bullet past Hamilton from eight yards.
Inverness survived a let-off on 31 minutes when Bjorn Johnsen saw his shot deflected on to the crossbar, while Fon Williams was called upon again to tip Andraz Struna’s shot over the bar.
Ian Cathro’s men should have levelled on 34 minutes, when another Choulay corner picked out Goncalves, but the unchallenged attacker guided his header wide of target.
Hearts came inches away from a leveller on 51 minutes when Goncalves’ cushioned volley from Choulay’s cross came off the inside of the post before bouncing clear.
Inverness were eventually undone on 64 minutes however, as Perry Kitchen’s delivery from the left came through to Djoum, with the Cameroon international turning the ball home at the far post.
Caley Thistle had a glorious chance to regain their lead moments later from their first corner of the afternoon when Tansey’s corner came all the way through to the untracked Billy Mckay, but he steered wide, with the Northern Irishman adamant his effort had been deflected on its way past the post.
The visitors were desperately unfortunate not to find the net on 74 minutes, when Draper’s header from a Tansey corner bounced off the post before being acrobatically hacked off the line by defender Lennard Sowah.
Hearts were handed a glorious chance to take the lead just 60 seconds later when Draper brought down Goncalves inside the box, however Fon Williams came to the rescue with a fine save from substitute Walker’s penalty.
Hearts applied late pressure with Alexandros Tziolis and Rory Currie nodding over, with Fon Williams holding on to Malaury Martin’s low shot, however the Highlanders held on for a vital point.